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Category Archives: Donald Speakman
Face-less and word-less: fringe candidates who want your vote
Just who are these people wanting you to entrust them with your precious vote on May 7? As KEN TOWL discovered, some appear very reluctant to let you know who they are, or what they really stand for There’s this … Continue reading
Posted in 2026 council elections, Adam Kellett, Donald Speakman, Jose Joseph, London-wide issues, New Addington North, New Addington South, Selsdon and Addington Village, Selsdon Vale and Forestdale, Shirley North, Shirley South
Tagged 2026 council elections, 2026 local elections, Conservative, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Fairfield, Green Party, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Liberal Democrats, London Borough of Croydon, Mark Adderley, Mel Mullings, Michael Castle, Nadia Sawalha, New Addington, New Addington North, Reform Ltd, Reform UK, Tory, TTIP, Your Party
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The ex-Tories standing for Reform all set for New Addington
After the mass resignation a fortnight ago of around a dozen members, including some candidates, Reform is trying to re-stage its New Addington walkabout tomorrow morning, with a promised ‘star guest’. WALTER CRONXITE, Political Editor, reports Wash. Rinse. Repeat. Reform, … Continue reading
Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Adam Kellett, Ben Flook, Dan Milner-Tebbutt, Donald Speakman, Jose Joseph, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, New Addington North, New Addington South, Selsdon and Addington Village, Selsdon Vale and Forestdale, Shirley North, Shirley South
Tagged 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon mayoral election, 2026 local elections, Adam Kellett, Ben Flook, Central Parade, Dan Milner-Tebbutt, Dan Tebbutt, Donald Speakman, Fairfield Halls, Jose Joseph, New Addington, New Addington North, New Addington South, Nigel Farage, Nik Stewert, Reform, Reform Ltd, Reform UK, Scott Holman, Selsdon, Shirley
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Scott and Butler lined up to receive council service award
Councillors who presided over Croydon’s financial ruin could soon be honoured by the very borough they helped bankrupt, thanks to the council’s flawed constitution. By Town Hall correspondent, KEN LEE Tony Newman, Alison Butler, Paul Scott, Simon Hall and other … Continue reading
Posted in Alison Butler, Bernadette Khan, Croydon Council, Donald Speakman, Hamida Ali, Helen Pollard, Mark Watson, Mayor Jason Perry, Pat Clouder, Paul Scott, Paul Smith, Simon Hall, Steve O'Connell, Stuart King, Tim Pollard, Tony Newman
Tagged Alderman, Alderwoman, Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Croydon, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Mark Watson, Mayor Jason Perry, Paul Scott, Simon Hall, STUART KING, Tony Newman
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Tories did not want to oppose Purley tower, claims Speakman
ELECTION COUNTDOWN: The battle for the ‘grey vote’ in the south of the borough has taken an unexpected turn in Purley, as our political editor, WALTER CRONXITE, reports Senior Conservatives, including councillor Simon Brew, are secretly keen not to make … Continue reading
Senior councillor calls for abolition of council CEO role
The position of the council chief executive and two other executive directors should be axed, to make Croydon Council more accountable to councillors and residents. That’s the view of one of the borough’s longest-standing councillors, in reaction to the news … Continue reading
Speakman quits Tory party and launches attack on ageism
EXCLUSIVE: WALTER CRONXITE on the latest recriminations over party selections for the local elections next month Donald Speakman, a Tory councillor in Purley for the past 16 years, has resigned from the Conservative Party and has started a campaign to … Continue reading
Posted in 2018 council elections, Badsha Quadir, Donald Speakman, Purley, Purley Pool, Simon Brew, Tim Pollard
Tagged Conservative, Croydon Council, Donald Speakman, Labour, Mario Creatura, Purley, Tim Pollard, Tory
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Council contempt for public in Orwellian Town Hall meeting
Political editor WALTER CRONXITE watched the latest travesty of a council meeting, so you wouldn’t have to Will they never learn? Monday night saw the Town Hall chamber holding the last full meeting of the council before the local elections … Continue reading
Posted in 2018 council elections, Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Chris Wright, Community associations, Coulsdon, Croydon Council, Croydon parks, Donald Speakman, Dudley Mead, Housing, Jo Negrini, Paul Scott, Planning, Purley, Queens Gardens, Shirley North, South Norwood, Tim Pollard, Timothy Godfrey, Tony Newman
Tagged Alison Butler, Brick by Brick Action Group, Conservative, Croydon Council, Donald Speakman, Dudley Mead, Jo Negrini, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Paul Scott, Tony Newman, Tory
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Here’s just one of the questions Jo Negrini refuses to answer
Town Hall reporter KEN LEE on an outbreak of control-freakery and censorship over the conduct of the chief executive and senior council staff Jo Negrini, Croydon’s vigorously self-promoting £185,000 a year chief executive, likes to give the impression that she … Continue reading
Tories accused of breaking their own rules over selections
Political editor WALTER CRONXITE on complaints of undemocratic interference in the candidate selection process, and too much influence from the local party leader in those allowed to stand in May’s Town Hall elections At least four of Croydon’s longest serving … Continue reading
Posted in 2018 council elections, Chris Wright, Coulsdon, Coulsdon East, Coulsdon Town, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Donald Speakman, Fairfield, Helen Pollard, Ian Parker, Mike Fisher, Purley, Shirley North, Steve Hollands, Sue Winborn, Tim Pollard, Vidhi Mohan
Tagged Chris Wright, Conservative, Coulsdon, Croydon, Croydon Council, Donald Speakman, Gareth Streeter, Ian Parker, London Borough of Croydon, Mike Fisher, Sue Winborn, Tim Pollard, Tory
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Speakman speaks truth to the council’s powers-that-be
WALTER CRONXITE, our political editor, on a rare outburst of straight talking among our Town Hall elected representatives “Thank goodness someone finally had the courage to say it,” one very senior Labour councillor confided after Monday night’s full council meeting … Continue reading
Posted in 2018 council elections, Alison Butler, Croydon Council, Donald Speakman, Jason Cummings, Jo Negrini, Maria Gatland, Mario Creatura, Oliver Lewis, Patsy Cummings, Phil Thomas, Purley, South Croydon, South Norwood, Stuart Collins, Tim Pollard, Tony Newman
Tagged Conservative, Croydon Council, Donald Speakman, Jason Cummings, Jo Negrini, Labour, Mario Creatura, Patsy Cummings, Tony Newman, Tory
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Coulsdon councillor Bains gets bumped in Tory selections
WALTER CRONXITE, our political editor, reports that in the latest Croydon game of musical chairs, the music hasn’t stopped yet Jeet Bains, the subterraneanly low-profile Conservative councillor for Coulsdon West, looks to be the first casualty of the enforced re-selections … Continue reading
Posted in Addiscombe West, Ashburton, Coulsdon, Coulsdon East, Coulsdon Town, Croydon Council, Donald Speakman, Dudley Mead, Fairfield, Heathfield, Helen Pollard, James Thompson, Jeet Bains, Luke Clancy, Margaret Mead, Mario Creatura, Purley, Selsdon & Ballards, Sue Winborn, Tony Newman, Vidhi Mohan
Tagged Addiscombe East, Addiscombe West, Ashburton, Conservative, Coulsdon, Croydon Council, Dudley Mead, Jeet Bains, Labour, Margaret Mead, Purley, Sue Winborn, Tory
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Nasty Party goes to war over church’s Purley tower block
A nasty war of words has broken out in Purley over the local baptist church’s development of a 17-storey tower overlooking the ugly gyratory road system. So unpleasant is the behaviour that Purley has revealed itself as no longer the … Continue reading
Posted in Chris Philp MP, Chris Wright, Church and religions, Community associations, Croydon Council, Croydon South, Donald Speakman, Environment, Luke Clancy, Parking, Paul Scott, Planning, Property, Purley, Purley BID, Richard Chatterjee, Sue Winborn, Transport
Tagged Chris Philp MP, Chris Wright, Conservative, Croydon Council, Donald Speakman, London Borough of Croydon, Paul Scott, Purley, Purley Baptist Church, Tory
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Purley Tory Speakman’s Labour past emerges 50 years on
March 31 this year will be the 50th anniversary of the 1966 General Election, when Harold Wilson’s Labour enjoyed a landslide victory over the Conservatives. The BBC has been marking the occasion with a day-long transmission of their election night … Continue reading
Posted in Donald Speakman, Maria Gatland, Purley
Tagged Donald Speakman, Maria Gatland, Purley, South Croydon
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Council risks legal action over decision to sell Riesco china
Croydon Tories deliberately ignored the council’s legal advisers to push through the pawn shop sale of the borough’s Riesco Collection. A confidential document, obtained by Inside Croydon, shows that Steve O’Connell, the cabinet member for finance, and Tim Pollard, the … Continue reading
Pollard ducks decisive meeting on £13m Riesco sale
Councillor Sara Bashford spoke up in the Town Hall council chamber last night and tried to justify Croydon’s sale of 24 items from the borough’s priceless Riesco ceramics collection by claiming that thousands of Croydon school children who visit the … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Coulsdon East, Croydon Council, Croydon Natural History and Scientific Society, Donald Speakman, Dudley Mead, Education, Fairfield Halls, Jan Buttinger, Jeet Bains, Julie Belvir, Kenley, Purley, Riesco Collection, Sara Bashford, Selsdon & Ballards, Simon Hall, Steve O'Connell, Stuart Collins, Terry Lenton, Tim Pollard, Toni Letts, Vidhi Mohan
Tagged Arts Council, British Museum, Croydon, London Borough of Croydon, Lottery Heritage Fund, Museum Association, Museum of Croydon, Steve O'Connell
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Respect names Lee Jasper as candidate for Croydon North
Respect, the party set up by the controversial George Galloway, yesterday named black activist Lee Jasper as its candidate in the Croydon North by-election, expected to be held on November 29. That date is six months to the day since … Continue reading
Send ’em back! Councillor’s rant against traveller groups
Sexism, rants against the local press for failing to be sufficiently subservient, and racism – last night’s full meeting of the council at the Town Hall had it all. It was as if, for Croydon’s ruling Conservative group, the 1930s … Continue reading
